


you bring me honeysuckle

by brocanteur



Category: The Tunnel (TV)
Genre: F/F, Ficlet, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 13:22:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10537353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brocanteur/pseuds/brocanteur
Summary: title from Neruda





	

The pain in her eye tells her it isn’t a dream. It’s raining outside, and the room is cold. Hospitals are kept cold to ward off infections, she’s heard. In any case, her room is freezing. Sitting at the edge of the bed, Eryka is silent. She only watches as Elise draws her blanket up to her chin, trembling. It must be the cold that makes her shake. What is that look on Eryka’s face? Is she sad? Tired? Both? Elise is weak. Because of the infection, yes, but there’s something else. Something she’s never known before. 

She says, “Karl told me he thought that you were beautiful in a chilly way. I don’t find that to be true. What I mean is, when I look at you, I feel as though I’ve a fever. Cold and hot, over and over.”

Eryka’s face softens. She touches the edge of Elise’s blanket.

“A fever?”

“Mm. It’s appropriate, I suppose, that it feels like illness.” She looks away, up and over Eryka’s shoulders, though she still feels her stare, hard and unrelenting. “Why are you here? I can’t stand it that you’re here.”

“I needed to see that you were all right.”

“No, you didn’t. It would have been easy enough to find out almost any other way. You didn’t need to see me, Eryka.”

“Of course I did.” Eryka takes her by the chin, forcing their gazes to reconnect. “I’m glad that you’re better.”

Elise tips her head back and away from Eryka’s touch. She draws her lip between her teeth and worries at it.

“I hope you’re not expecting a thank you.”

“No, Elise.”

“Good, because I don’t feel any better. Oh, yes, the virus, they’ve flushed it out, but there’s a different kind of pain now and it isn’t any easier to live with. I hate what you’ve done to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. You would do it all again.”

Elise pauses; she blinks and an unwanted tear trickles down her cheek. 

“And would you?” The intensity in Eryka’s voice is not surprising. Elise swallows the desire to kiss her; to slap her.

“ _Yes_.”


End file.
